“Coming out” worth celebrating

Happy National Coming Out Day dear friends! It is on this day, a quarter of a century ago, that thousands of brave folks marched on Washington to demand rights for LGBTQ people. This day is now recognized by all 50 states, and that is worth celebrating. We still have a long way to go in this march toward equality, but march onward, friends, towards the day when homophobic bias ceases and sexual violence ends.

According to the new Coming Out Bulletin from our (very cool) LGBTQ Information Packet, the process of coming out as LGBTQ can be amazing, scary, freeing, challenging, and more. Understanding this process and how to talk about or support someone through it offers a neat opportunity for personal growth in your own anti-sexual violence work. One of my fave bloggers expressed the process of coming out by framing it in the barrier of straight privilege:

“The privileging of straightness also means that coming out is not a single day in a life, but a never-ending process of assessing one's safety and balancing it against the need for disclosure.” (Check out Shakesville for more nifty commentary on a variety of topics)

Maintain a focus on identifying and dismantling privilege and oppression in your everyday work. Understand the depth, history, trauma, and triumphs of what we are celebrating this day, this month, and beyond. To see a map of the National Coming Out Day activities or to “drop a pin” on LGBTQ supportive activities in your area, check out the HRC Facebook App. You can also checkout some virtual action and community building on the National Coming Out Day page.

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